1. Chili
Have you ever eaten freshly made chili sprinkled with cheddar cheese melted to perfection on a chilly day? If you have, then you know the warm feeling that your body gets after swallowing the first bite, and you never want it to end. Go buy some beans and vegetables, and cook up a delicious pot of chili this winter.
2. Mashed potatoes with a sh** ton of gravy on top
We all know that mashed potatoes are the go-to comfort food. The melted butter and hint of garlic mixed with creamy potatoes mashed to perfection is our meal of choice wherever we go. And let’s not forget the creamy, melt in your mouth gravy that gives you such joy while pouring a gallon of it over your mashed potatoes and everything else on your plate.
3. Grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup
This combo will have you drooling. Picture this: two slices of golden bread slathered in butter with melted cheese in the middle and oozing out of the sides, being dipped into a steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup on a snowy day. Have you ever loved something as much as you love grilled cheese and tomato soup? The answer is most likely no… and if it’s yes, that’s just not right.
4. Lasagna
My dad makes the absolute best lasagna in the entire world. Maybe I am biased because it’s my dad’s lasagna, but I do know that it is my go-to comfort food. The layers and layers of pasta, cheese (about five different kinds), spinach, tomato sauce, and meat (if you’re into that) has me almost in tears just thinking about it. This meal is perfect for any day of the year, but especially during a blizzard.
5. Chicken Pot Pie
I am pretty sure that chicken pot pie has been around for centuries. It just seems like the kind of food that pilgrims ate while they were huddled around their stoves trying to stay warm in the harsh winters. If you have ever cut into a chicken pot pie and watched it steam while the creamy concoction of chicken, cheese and various vegetables ooze out, you know that this is an absolute must when it comes to comfort food. Plus, it’s easy to make and easy to freeze for the next time you crave some comfort food on a cold winter’s day.
6. Clam Chowder
Just the thought of clam chowder makes me salivate. The creamy deliciousness of clam chowder is perfect for a day when snow is falling outside and you’re cozy and warm inside. Enjoy it with some oyster crackers or in a bread bowl. And try not to become obsessed. If you’ve ever had the clam chowder bread bowl at Disneyland, you know what I’m talking about when I say, “Try not to become obsessed.”
7. Stove Top Stuffing
OK, yes, this is a food reserved mostly for Thanksgiving. However, it is also perfect for a chilly day in January, and will give you flashbacks of your amazing meal from Thanksgiving. Feel free to smother it in gravy, because obviously gravy makes everything better. Personally, nothing sounds better than eating stove top stuffing and drinking a glass of red wine after going sledding in the middle of December.
8. Hot Chocolate
THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE COMFORT DRINK: hot chocolate. We love it more than we love water, and we drink it religiously in the winter, making it our all time favorite comfort drink. The more marshmallows the better, and if we happen to add a mound of whipped cream bigger than our heads, no one judges. So go ahead and indulge in some creamy, rich hot chocolate this winter, and don’t be afraid to drink it every day. I know I will be.
9. Fluffer-Nutter Sandwiches
These babies are a major throwback to our elementary school days. If your parents were cool or weren’t health freaks, then you had a fluffer-nutter sandwich packed in your lunch at least three times a week. You were the queen of the playground at lunchtime when all of your friends wanted to taste the beloved fluffer-nutter sandwich. Now, you’re either a stressed college student or just someone who needs a little more time to be a kid and you eat fluffer-nutters to comfort you. The fluff is also great when eaten with a spoon by itself. This winter, try packing yourself a fluffer-nutter sandwich when you go to school or work, and let me know how much better you feel after eating it… I promise, you will have a smile on your face the whole day.
10. Pancakes
Nothing makes me happier than a big stack of pancakes smothered in maple syrup. Eat them for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. After or before a long day of walking through the snow at school or shivering on the ski hill, a steaming plate of pancakes is the best idea ever. Right now, I am staring at a picture of pancakes while wiping the drool from my mouth… Sorry.
